Month: March 2019

Leviticus 7:11-38; Psalm 107:1-43; Acts 28:17-31

And they all forsook him, and fled. Mark 14:50
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matthew 27:46

“Their family was at their side”. Many obituaries contain these words and it is wonderful to know that the dying person was comforted by having loved ones at their side as they approached death. When the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ suffered on that awful cross, no one was there to comfort Him. He was forsaken, even of God. He suffered for our sin all alone. What a wonderful Saviour we have. How we should worship and praise Him! —Mary Robins

Alone, alone, He bore it all alone:
He gave Himself to save His own,
He suffered, bled and died. Alone, alone. —Ben Price

Leviticus 6:8-7:10; Psalm 106:1-48; Acts 28:1-16

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias… Luke 1:5, NKJV

The time was dreadful. A monster was on the throne, an Idumean, a murderer of his own sons, proud, cruel and horrible in every way. There was also a priest, a servant. This man was humble, virtuous, godly, faithful. Whoever is on the throne in our world, be they prime minister, president, pharaoh or prince, God also has His priests—men and women who faithfully carry out their privilege of worshipping Him joyfully, hopefully, prayerfully. In these times of turmoil, may the Lord find our hearts and our homes prepared, expectant, focused on the Coming One. —M. MacMullen

Just to know You more, has become my great reward;
To see Your kingdom come, and Your will be done. —M. Weaver

Leviticus 5:14-6:7; Psalm 105:1-45; Acts 27:27-44

He that hath the Son hath life. 1 John 5:12

The administrator of a large London mental hospital once told an eminent minister that half the inmates could be dismissed if they could fully grasp what it meant to be forgiven. In one instance when case histories of divinely changed lives was brought to the attention of reformers, their response was, “It’s too simple a solution”. But God still offers the simple life-changing message today, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31a). And thus we are forgiven! —E. Dyck

O the love that drew salvation’s plan!
O the grace that brought it down to man!
O the mighty gulf that God did span, At Calvary. —William R. Newell

Leviticus 4:27-5:13; Psalm 104:1-35; Acts 27:1-26

When thou art in tribulation…if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice…he will not forsake thee… nor forget the covenant. Deuteronomy 4:30-31

In the player’s entrance at Centre Court at Wimbledon are inscribed two lines from a poem by Rudyard Kipling entitled “If”. The words for players and all to read are “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same”. It is easy to live with Triumph in our lives, but it takes trust and belief in the Lord to give us the victory in Disaster, when things are not going the way we would wish. May you know His strength and gain the victory today. —Brian Powlesland

Though dark my path, and sad my lot, let me be still and murmur not,
Or breathe the prayer divinely taught, “Thy will be done.”—C. Elliott

Leviticus 4:1-26; Psalm 103:1-22; Acts 26:19-32

But made himself of no reputation. Philippians 2:7 It was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. John 4:6-7

The Man of no reputation had to go through Samaria (John 4:4) to meet a woman of bad reputation. She came to the well at noonday so as to avoid the other women of her town. Jesus offered her living water and then she went to tell the townsfolk of whom she had met. Oh how her face must have shone, for they came immediately to hear His words. Then they believed Him too. May we have a similarly shining testimony. —Annette Baal

But this Man of no reputation,
Loved the weak with relentless affection;
And He loved all those poor in spirit just as they were;
He was a man of no reputation. —Rich Mullins

Leviticus 3:1-17; Psalm 102:1-28; Acts 26:1-18

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3
The righteous…shall still bring forth fruit in old age. Ps. 92:12, 14

A well-known servant of the Lord related that while visiting with his aging father, he realized that his father failed to recognize him. However, upon the mention of John 3:16, his father immediately quoted that lovely gospel verse. The obvious conclusion was that he knew God’s Son, even though he failed to recognize his own son. A fitting testimony to his long career of memorizing Scriptures, preaching, teaching, and writing. —Curtis Thigpen

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, tho’ all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake! —George Keith

Leviticus 2:1-16; Psalms 99:1-101:8; Acts 25:13-27

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. John 10:33

Men always seems to get things backwards. Jesus was every bit a man but He never became God. He was God that became a man. He became who He never was. Yet He never ceased to be who He always was and He will never cease to be what He became. He made Himself a man so that He might make us like Himself. Predestinated to be conformed to His image. Praise the Lord for such a Saviour! —Harold G. Smith

I shall be like Him, I shall be like Him, in His beauty shine.
I shall be like Him, wondrously like Him, Jesus my Saviour divine. —W. A. Spencer

Leviticus 1:1-17; Psalms 96:1-98:9; Acts 24:24-25:12

I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath…a derision to all my people; and their song all the day… remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. Lamentations 3:1, 14, 19

Although Jeremiah expresses his own sorrows and those of Jerusalem, he undoubtedly gives us a view of the sufferings of Christ on our behalf. Surely at Calvary our Lord could say, “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath”. He is the man. We remember His affliction and misery on our behalf, and bow low in grateful worship. —Carl Knott

O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head! Our load was laid on Thee;
Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead, to bear all ill for me. —Anne R. Cousin

Exodus 40:1-38; Psalms 94:1-95:11; Acts 24:1-23

For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him. Psalm 109:31, NKJV

In Zechariah 3:1, Satan, the brethren’s accuser (Rev. 12:10), stands in the place of prosecution at the right hand. But the Lord silences him and then extends grace and purification to the defiled priest, Joshua. David understood the same principle: God stands at His people’s right hand—“the poor in spirit” who trust in Him rather than themselves (Matt. 5:3) and vindicates them from every charge. His salvation, based on Christ’s propitiation, justifies believers from all condemnation (Rom. 8:1). —Keith Keyser

Who shall condemn us now? Since Christ has died, and risen, and gone above,
For us to plead at the right hand of Love; Who shall condemn us now? —Horatius Bonar

Exodus 39:1-43; Psalms 92:1-93:5; Acts 23:12-35

Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines… God led the people around by the way of the wilderness. Exodus 13:17-18, NKJV

Sometimes we don’t understand why God leads us on the longer, more difficult path in life, when the short cut and one of least resistance appears to be much more logical! The children of Israel must have questioned this very thing. At times like this, we need to trust the integrity of God’s heart, and skillfulness of His hand (Ps. 78:72), because His ways and thoughts are much higher than ours (Isa. 55:9), and His plans are always good (Jer. 29:11)! —E.V.

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness; All I have to do is follow! —Sidney E. Cox